An Edmonton firm has purchased land in the South Riel Business Park and has plans to amend the zoning from business park to commercial, according to the company's president.
Bruno Mastroprimiano, president of Royal West Property Corporation, said the company purchased land in South Riel a few months ago.
Previously, that land was owned by Beaverbrook Developments, the Edmonton-based company developing the Quail Ridge subdivision in the city's northeast corner.
Mastroprimiano described Royal West as a small company that has primarily developed acreages and subdivisions in Strathcona County.
He said the company also has several land holdings throughout Edmonton.
Mastroprimiano said the company purchased the land in South Riel, the only property they currently own in St. Albert, because of its great location.
"I think it's a prime location due to the intersection with Ray Gibbon, next to Hole's," he said.
"That will be the main entrance to St. Albert and access to Anthony Henday, so it's a great location."
Mastroprimiano would not comment on his company's plans for the site but said, "It will be developed."
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he was pleased with the news and had no concerns about Royal West wanting to rezone from business park to commercial.
"I have no concerns, I'm excited. When you look at Hole's, it's very commercial," he said. Crouse said the city is trying to attract non-residential development to that particular area of South Riel.
"What's important for us mostly is that we get non-residential development. We don't want houses in there."
Larry Horncastle, the city's director of business and tourism development, said the zoning change wouldn't impact the number of new or expanded businesses.
"Going from business park to commercial would not change the number of new or expanded businesses, however it would influence the type of business that would be attracted to this area," Horncastle said.
Ivan Mayer, president of the Riel Business Park Association, said he also had no concerns with Royal West's plan to change the zoning as long as it kept residential development out of that particular area.
"The key thing here is that as long as we keep it business, I have no problem whether it's industrial or commercial. We wanted to push for more industrial in that south area and the reason Beaverbrook got the zoning is they did have a component that was industrial," Mayer said.
"As long as they don't try the old stunt that's been going on for years in St. Albert where they end up trying to flip it into a residential, that's a concern we have. We need more industrial park and commercial."
Industrial development
According to the 2007 South Riel area structure plan (ASP), the area could accommodate approximately 30 hectares of industrial land development situated in the northwest and southeast sectors of the plan area.
Horncastle said the city is currently in the process of determining what their future industrial needs might be.
"In the municipal development plan there was land set aside as future study areas that may or may not have been future industrial," he said.
"We're in the process of doing a study to determine what our industrial needs might be over the next 30 to 40 years."
Horncastle said the city is hoping to hire a consultant to oversee the study over the next few months.
"And then we can go back to the city and say, 'OK, now where are we going to put this land?' because the land isn't designated for it yet."
Future plans
South Riel could potentially support a variety of land uses, including medium to higher density, regional commercial, residential, light business/industrial and a location for an institutional use, according to its ASP.
The plan calls for a residential area to be located in the northeast corner, separated from the railway by a linear municipal reserve corridor while regional commercial uses will be concentrated in the southwest area.
Also included was the site of a future church, just north of 137 Avenue.
The plan also called for a potential regional commercial centre comprising 28 hectares of land that could include a mix of freestanding pads, box stores and strip malls.
Incorporating a high standard of site design, architectural elements and landscaping were also mentioned in the ASP in order to ensure developments will be an attractive addition to St. Albert.
